Dispensing package

ABSTRACT

A paperboard carton for receiving articles in two or more layers separated by a divider pad is provided. The divider pad is secured relative to an end panel arrangement at one end of the carton. The carton has a top panel, a base panel and a pair of opposite sides. One of the side panels has a removable portion adjacent one end, which, when removed, defines a roll out aperture for article removal when the carton is lying on the end panel arrangement.

The present invention relates to dispensing packages and more particularly, but not exclusively, those for canned products such as food and drink.

Commonly, canned food/drink products are supplied in a shallow tray made of paperboard or corrugated board, with a shrink wrapping of plastic film. A number of these shrink wrapped trays are often stacked one above the other on a supermarket shelf. The trays are usually stacked on their widest surface which can be considered as lacking space efficiency, particularly if only one tray is on the shelf. Additionally the shrink wrap is not good for assisting in product differentation.

According to the present invention there is provided a paperboard carton for articles arranged in at least two layers, the carton having a top panel, a base panel, a pair of oppositely disposed side panels and a pair of oppositely disposed end panel arrangements, a divider pad being provided between the adjacent layers of articles and being secured relative to the end panel arrangement at one end, one of the side panels having a removable portion adjacent said one end so as to define a roll-out aperture for article removal when the carton is lying on said one end panel arrangement.

Preferably the divider pad is secured relative to the other end panel arrangement. Conveniently each end panel arrangement comprises a pair of oppositely disposed side end flaps hingedly connected to the side panels and a pair of oppositely disposed main end flaps hingedly connected to the top and base panels respectively.

In preferred embodiments the divider pad has a fold down gluing panel at the or each secured end. With a preferred arrangement the top end flap is folded down last and is adhesively secured to all its associated end flaps of its associated end panel arrangement and to its associated fold down gluing panel.

Ideally a single straight glue line effects said adhesive attachment of the top end flap to the other end flaps and gluing panel. In one such embodiment the base end flap has a central projecting area such that the straight glue line is provided in turn on one of the side end flaps, the gluing panel, the central area of the base end flaps, the gluing panel and the other side end flap.

In further preferred embodiments said removable portion extends into the top and base panels to aid removal of the articles and also said removable portion is defined by perforations or other lines of weakening.

Normally, the top panel base panel, two side and two end panel arrangement panels are substantially rectangular but other arrangements could be envisaged.

With preferred arrangements one or more cuts extend partway to the adjacent end from the removable portion. Conveniently two of said cuts extend along the folds between said one side panel and the top and base panels respectively and also a transverse cut is provided at the end of the or each cut remote from the removable portion.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows two paperboard blanks for producing a carton according to the present invention,

FIGS. 2 to 6 are end perspective views showing the stages of assembly of the blanks of FIG. 1 to form the carton according to the present invention,

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the assembled carton standing on one end,

FIG. 8 is another side perspective view of the assembled carton standing on one side with a removable portion removed to define a roll-out aperture,

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part of a preferred blank for producing a carton according to the present invention,

FIG. 10 is a further enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 9, and

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view during use of the lower part only of a carton assembled using a blank incorporating the FIG. 10 detail.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a pair of paperboard blanks 10, 11 for producing a carton 12 which is shown in FIG. 7 in an assembled condition standing on one end. The various stages of assembly are illustrated in perspective in FIGS. 2 to 6.

The main blank 10 is used to form the basic carton shape and provides a top panel 13 hingedly connected to oppositely disposed side panels 14, 15. Side panel 15 is in turn hingedly connected to a base panel 16 which is hingedly connected to an adhesive flap 17. The main blank 10 is formed into a general sleeve shape by adhering the adhesive flap 17 to the area adjacent the free edge 18 of the side panel 14.

Side end flaps 19, 20 are hingedly connected to side panels 14, 15 respectively at each end of the blank 10. A top end flap 21 is hingedly connected to the top panel 13 at each end and similarly a base end flap 22 is hingedly connected to the base panel 16 at each end of the blank 10. Each base end flap 22 has a central area 23 which projects beyond the adjacent free edges 24 of the base end flap 22 and the reason for this will be clarified later.

Side panel 15 also incorporates a removable portion 33 defined by lines of weakening 25 such as perforations. The removable portion 33 extends partially at 26 into the base panel 16 and at 27 into the top panel 13. A small portion 28 of the side panel 15 is intended to remain after the removable portion 33 has been removed thereby to act as a stop wall. Other forms and shapes of roll-out feature could also be substituted for the illustrated one.

The second blank 11, a divider pad, comprises a rectangular main panel 29 which corresponds in size and shape to the top and base panels 13, 16 of the main blank 10. At each end of the main panel 29 a fold-down glue panel 30 is hingedly connected.

To assemble the carton 12 the adhesive flap 17 of the main blank 10 is secured to the side panel 14 and the main blank 10 is opened up to form an open-ended sleeve. A layer of cans 31 are then inserted into the sleeve so as to have their ends lying on the base panel 16 as shown in FIG. 2. The second blank 11 is then inserted as shown in FIG. 3 so as to lie on top of the layer of cans 31. A second layer of cans 31 is then inserted into the sleeve so as to lie on top of the main panel 29 of the divider pad 11 with the glue panels 30 folded down at both ends of the sleeve so as to lie against the lower layer of cans 31, as shown in FIG. 4. The side end flaps 19, 20 at each end are then folded in and the base end flaps 22 are folded up and at each end a single straight glue line 32 is applied to the side end flaps 19, 20, the glue panel 30 and to the central area 23 of the base end flap 22 as shown in FIG. 5. The top end flap 21 at each end is then folded down into contact with the glue line 32 so as to be adhesively secured to the glue panel 30, the base end flap 22 and the side end flaps 19, 20.

The carton 12 is thus fully assembled as shown in FIG. 6 and all panels can display product and promotion information, advertising, logos, competition details etc. In store, the carton 12 can be placed on a shelf on its end adjacent the removable portion 33 which faces toward the consumer. This is shown in FIG. 7. Side panel 15 is, therefore, particularly suited to displaying advertising logos and other information. The removable portion 33 is then removed so as to enable consumers to remove the cans 31 through the resulting roll-out dispensing aperture as shown in FIG. 8. The stop wall 28 prevents the cans 31 from rolling out of the carton 12.

The carton 12 can occupy a relatively small horizontal space on the shelf compared to conventional shrink-wrapped trays for cans and can provide significant advertising/information areas, for example on the side panel 15.

In FIGS. 9 to 11 there is shown a modification to the abovementioned arrangement. Like parts, however, have been given like reference numerals. Looking at the blank detail in FIGS. 9 and 10, the folds between the side panel 15 and the top panel 13 and the base panel 16 are indicated by numerals 40 and 41 respectively. The line of weakening 25 adjacent the stop wall 28 crosses the folds 40 and 41. The modification is to provide a cut 42 in each fold 40, 41, which cut 42 extends from the line of weakening 25 towards but short of the side end flap 20. A short transverse cut 43 is provided at the end of each cut 42 and the transverse cuts 43 extend a short distance into the stop wall 28 and the base panel 16 or top panel 13 respectively. Between the transverse cuts 43 and the side end flap 20 the folds 40, 41 remain uncut.

The modified blank is assembled in the same way as blank 10 of FIG. 1 and is secured with respect to blank 11 in the same way. Once the pack is opened, however, there is a small difference in operation after the removable portion 33 has been removed. Instead of the entire stop wall 28 being fixed relative to the now upright base and top panels 16, 13, the now upper part 28 a of the stop wall 28 is able to flex outwardly as illustrated in FIG. 11. The lower part 28 b of the stop wall 28 remains fixed relative to the base and top panels 16, 13. This outward flexing of the upper part 28 a is made possible by the provision of the cuts 42 in the folds 40, 41 and makes it easier to remove the cans from the carton. The transverse cuts 43, which are optional, tend to prevent the cuts 42 from extending beyond their intended length towards the side end flap 20.

In this particular embodiment the cuts 42 extend about halfway towards the side end flap 20, but the dimensions are a matter of design choice dependent on the can and other carton dimensions. In addition, although the cuts 42 are shown as extending along the folds 40, 41, alternative cuts could be provided in other locations to facilitate removal of the cans.

It will be appreciated that other products could be packaged in this way, not just cylindrical cans, although cylindrical articles are particularly well suited to the carton. In addition the carton could be modified to accommodate more than two layers of cans, each layer separated by a divider pad which is secured at least to the end panel arrangement adjacent the roll-out aperture and preferably to both end panel arrangements. Other methods of assembly of the finished carton could also be readily envisaged. 

1. A paperboard carton for articles arranged in an end-on-end relationship in at least two layers, the carton having a top panel, a base panel, and a pair of oppositely disposed side panels, an end panel combination provided at each end of the carton to close each end of the carton, and a divider pad provided between the adjacent end-on-end layers of articles and being secured relative to a first end panel combination of the end panel combinations at a first end, a first side panel of the pair of side panels having a removable portion adjacent said first end so as to define a roll-out aperture for article removal when the carton is lying on said first end panel combination.
 2. The carton of claim 1 wherein the divider pad is secured relative to a second end panel combination of the end panel combinations.
 3. The carton of claim 1 wherein the first and second end pawl combinations comprise a pair of oppositely disposed side end flaps hingedly connected to the side panels and a pair of oppositely disposed main end flaps hingedly connected to the top and base panels respectively.
 4. The carton of claim 1 wherein the divider pad has a fold down gluing panel at each secured end.
 5. The carton of claim 4 wherein the top end flap is folded down last and is adhesively secured to the respective end flaps of the respective end panel combination and to the respective fold down gluing panel.
 6. The carton of claim 5 wherein a single straight glue line adhesively attaches the top end flap to the other end flaps and gluing panel.
 7. The carton of claim 6 wherein the base end flap has a central projecting area and the straight glue line is provided on the side end flaps, the gluing panel, the central area of the base end flaps, the gluing panel or the other side end flap.
 8. The carton of claim 1 wherein said removable portion extends into the top and base panels to aid removal of the articles and also said removable portion is defined by perforations or other lines of weakening.
 9. The carton of claim 1 wherein the top panel, base panel, two side and two end panel combinations are substantially rectangular.
 10. The carton of claim 1 wherein at least one cut extends partway to the end adjacent the removable portion.
 11. The carton of claim 10 wherein two cuts extend along the folds between one said side panel and the top and base panels respectively.
 12. The carton of claim 10 wherein a transverse cut is provided at a terminus of each said at least one cut remote from the removable portion.
 13. A blank capable of being formed into a paperboard carton for articles arranged in an end-on-end relationship in at least two layers, the blank having a top panel, a base panel, and a pair of oppositely disposed side panels, an end panel combination provided at each end of the carton to close each end of the carton and a divider pad provided between the adjacent end-on-end layers of articles and being secured relative to a first end panel combination of the end panel combinations at a first end, a first side panel of the pair of side panels having a removable portion adjacent said first end so as to define a roll-out aperture for article removal when the carton is lying on said first end panel combination.
 14. The blank of claim 13 wherein the divider pad is seemed relative to a second end panel combination of the end panel combinations.
 15. The blank of claim 13 wherein the fox and second end panel combinations comprise a pair of oppositely disposed side end flaps hingedly connected to the side panels and a pair of oppositely disposed main end flaps hingedly connected to the top and base panels respectively.
 16. The blank of claim 13 wherein the divider pad has a fold down gluing panel at each secured end.
 17. The blank of claim 13 wherein said removable portion extends into the top and base panels to aid removal of the articles and also said removable portion is defined by perforations or other lines of weakening.
 18. The blank of claim 13 wherein the top panel, base panel, two side and two end panel combinations are substantially rectangular.
 19. The blank of claim 13 wherein at least one out extends partway to the end adjacent the removable portion.
 20. The blank of claim 19 wherein two cuts extend along the folds between one said side panel and the top and base panels respectively.
 21. The blank of claim 19 wherein a transverse cut is provided at a terminus of each said at least one cut remote from the removable portion.
 22. An enclosed carton for a plurality of cylindrical containers in a plurality of rows, including a first row and a second row adjacent and above the first row, the carton comprising: a. a top panel, two side panels, a bottom panel, and two closed ends, at least one of which is an exiting end; b. top and bottom tear lines that extend across the exiting end and into at least one of the side panels and meet each other in the at least one side panel, the tear lines defining an opening flap which is at let partially detachable from the carton along the tear lines to create an opening between the tear lines; c. the bottom tear line being spaced above the bottom panel; d. the top and bottom tear lines being located that when the opening flap is at least partially removed: (1) the container in the first row which is adjacent the exiting end and the container in the second row which is adjacent the exiting end are both prevented from rolling out of the carton, and (2) the container in the second row which is adjacent the exiting end can be removed from the carton through the opening prior to removal of the container in the first row which is adjacent the exiting end.
 23. The carton of claim 22, wherein the top and bottom tear lines extend into both side panels, and meet each other in both side panels.
 24. The carton of claim 23, wherein at least a part of each end of the container in the second row which is adjacent the exiting end is exposed when the opening flap is removed, whereby said container ends may be grasped to remove the container in the second row which is adjacent the exiting end from the carton through the opening.
 25. The carton of claim 22, wherein when the opening flap is removed, a stop wall prevents the container in the first row adjacent the exiting end from rolling out of the carton.
 26. The carton of claim 25, including at least one flap means capable of creating a flap from a portion of the stop wall; the flap being capable of flexing outwardly to ease container removal from the carton.
 27. The carton of claim 26, wherein the flap means includes at least one cut about which the flap is flexed.
 28. The carton of claim 22, including a handle in the top panel.
 29. The carton of claim 22, wherein a means for removing the opening flap is located at least partially in an area of the side panel that forms a part of the opening flap.
 30. The carton of claim 22, wherein the containers are cans.
 31. An enclosed carton for cylindrical containers arranged in a plurality of rows, including a first row and a second row adjacent and above the first row, the carton comprising: a. a top panel, two side panels, a bottom panel, and two closed ends, one of which is an exiting end; b. top and bottom team lines, each extending across the exiting end from one side panel to the other, c. the portion of the exiting end between the two tear lines forming an opening flap which is at east partially removable to create an opening; d. the top and bottom tear lines each being at a sufficient height above the bottom panel to retain all the containers in the carton when the opening is created; and e. the top and bottom tear lines being so positioned and having a sufficient distance between them to permit a container from the second row to be removed through the dispenser opening prior to removal of a container from the first row.
 32. The carton of claim 31, wherein the bottom tear line has a sufficient height above the bottom panel to prevent any containers in the first row from automatically rolling out of the opening when the carton is disposed on a horizontal plane.
 33. The carton of claim 31, wherein the top tear line has a sufficient height above the bottom panel to prevent any containers in the second row from automatically rolling out of the opening when the carton is disposed on a horizontal plane.
 34. The carton of claim 31, wherein the top and bottom tea lines extend into at least one side panel and meet each other in the at least one side panel, thereby defining a portion of the side panel that is removable as a part of the opening flap.
 35. The carton of claim 34, wherein the portion exposes at least a part of an end of a container in the second row when the opening flap is removed.
 36. The carton of claim 34, wherein a means for removing the opening flap is located at least partially in said portion of the at least one side panel.
 37. The carton of claim 31, wherein when the opening flap is removed, a stop wall prevents the container in the first row adjacent the exiting end from rolling out of the carton.
 38. The carton of claim 37, including at least one flap means capable of creating a flap from a portion of the stop wall; the flap being capable of flexing outwardly to ease contains removal from the carton.
 39. The carton of claim 38, wherein the flap means includes at least one cut about which the flap is flexed.
 40. The carton of claim 31, including a handle in the top panel.
 41. The carton of claim 31, wherein the containers are cans.
 42. An enclosed carton for carrying a plurality of cylindrical containers in a plurality of rows, including a first row, and a second row adjacent and above the first row, with each container having a diameter and two ends, the carton comprising: a. a bottom panel, top panel and foldably attached adjoining side panels; b. a plurality of ends, at least one of which is an exiting end capable of permitting the containers to exit the carton one at a time, said exiting end having a bottom tear line and a top tear line extending thereacross for forming an opening, said bottom tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is sufficient to prevent any container in the first row from automatically exiting when said opening is created when the carton is on a horizontal plane, said top tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is greater than the diameter of one of the containers to be contained in the first row of containers and at a sufficient height from said bottom panel to prevent any container in the second row from automatically rolling out when the carton is disposed on a horizontal plane; c. said top and bottom tear lines extending into at least one of said side panels and turning towards each other a sufficient distance to permit said top and bottom tear lines to be separated to expose each said end of a container in the second row adjacent said exiting end; and d. means for closing any end of the carton that is not the exiting end.
 43. The carton of claim 42 including at least one means for creating the opening located between said top and bottom tear lines.
 44. The carton of claim 42 in which the sufficient distance permits a container in the second row adjacent said exiting end to be grasped for removal from the carton.
 45. The carton of claim 44 including at least one means for creating the opening located between said top and bottom tear lines.
 46. The carton of claim 45 in which said means is located at least partially in at least one of the side panels.
 47. The carton of claim 42, wherein when the opening flap is removed, a stop wall prevents the container in the first row adjacent the exiting end from rolling out of the carton.
 48. The carton of claim 47, including at least one flap means capable of creating a flap from a portion of the stop wall; the flap being capable of flexing outwardly to ease container removal from the carton.
 49. The carton of claim 48, wherein the flap means includes at least one cut about which the flap is flexed.
 50. The carton of claim 42, including a handle in the top panel.
 51. An enclosed carton for carrying a plurality of cylindrical containers in a plurality of rows, including a first row, and a second row adjacent and above the first row, with each container having a diameter and two ends, the carton comprising: a. a bottom panel, top panel and foldably attached adjoining side panels; b. a plurality of ends, at least one of which is an exiting end capable of permitting the containers to exit the carton one at a time, said exiting end having a bottom end flap which is attached by a fold line to the bottom panel, a top end flap foldably attached to the top panel, side end flaps foldably attached to each side panel and means for attaching all said laps together to close the exiting end of carton; c. said exiting end having a bottom tear line and a top tear line formed in each side end panel and extending thereacross for forming an opening, said bottom tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is sufficient to prevent any container in the first row from automatically exiting when said opening is created when the carton is on a horizontal plane, said top tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is greater than the diameter of a container to be contained in said first row of containers and at a sufficient height from said bottom panel to prevent any container in the second row from automatically exiting the carton when the carton is on a horizontal plane; d. said top and bottom tear lines extending into at least one of said side panels and turning towards each other a sufficient distance to permit said top and bottom tear lines to be separated to expose at least the end of a container in the second row adjacent said exiting end; and e. means for closing any end of the carton that is not the exiting end.
 52. The carton of claim 51 in which the sufficient distance permits the exposed container ends in the second row adjacent said exiting end to be grasped to remove the exposed container from the carton.
 53. The carton of claim 52 including a means for creating the opening located at least partially in said side panel.
 54. The carton of claim 51, wherein when the opening flap is removed, a stop wall prevents the container in the first row adjacent the exiting end from rolling out of the carton.
 55. The carton of claim 54, including at least one flap means capable of creating a flap from a portion of the stop wall; the flap being capable of flexing outwardly to ease container removal from the canton.
 56. The carton of claim 55, wherein the flap means includes at least one cut about which the flap is flexed.
 57. The carton of claim 51, including a handle in the top panel.
 58. A method for dispensing a cylindrical container from an opening in an enclosed carton that contains a plurality of cylindrical containers in a plurality of rows, including a first row, and a second row adjacent and above the first row, with each said container having a diameter and two ends, said carton having two ends with one end being an exiting end, the carton including a. a bottom panel, top panel and foldably attached adjoining side panels; b. said exiting end having a bottom and a top tear line extending thereacross for forming the opening, said bottom tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is less than the diameter of a container in the first row, but at a sufficient height to prevent any container in the first row from automatically exiting when said opening is created when the carton is on a horizontal plane, said top tear line having a height from said bottom panel that is greater than the diameter of a container to be contained in the first row of containers and at a sufficient height from said bottom panel to prevent any container in the second row from automatically exiting the carton when the carton is on a horizontal plane; c. said top and bottom tear lines extending into said side panels a sufficient distance and turning toward each other a sufficient distance to permit said top and bottom tear lines to be separated to expose the ends of a container in the second row adjacent said exiting end to permit grasping and removal of the container in the second row adjacent said exiting end from the carton; said method comprising: placing the carton so that the bottom panel is in an approximately horizontal plane, separating said top and bottom tear lines to create the opening, grasping the ends of a container in the second row adjacent the dispenser opening, and removing the container from the carton through the opening.
 59. The method of dispensing of claim 58, wherein the carton further includes a stop wall that prevents the container in the first row adjacent the exiting end from rolling out of the carton and wherein the stop means includes at least one flap means with at least one cut, the method further comprising: flexing the flap means about the cut to ease removal of a container from the carton. 